sail. Slowly and feebly Tristan at last opens his eyes, gazes
dreamily at his attendant and surroundings, and wonderingly
inquires how he came thither. Kurvenal gently tells him that
he bore him away from Cornwall while wounded and unconscious,
and brought him home to recover his health amid the peaceful
scenes of his happy youth; but Tristan sadly declares that life
has lost all its charms since he has parted from Ysolde. In a
sudden return of delirium the wounded hero then fancies he is
again in the forest, watching for the light to go out, until
Kurvenal tells him that Ysolde will soon be here, as he has
sent a ship to Cornwall to bring her safely over the seas.

These tidings fill Tristan's heart with such rapture that
he embraces Kurvenal, thanking him brokenly for his lifelong
devotion, and bidding him climb up into the watch-tower that he
may catch the first glimpse of the coming sail. While Kurvenal
is hesitating whether he shall obey this order and leave his
helpless patient alone, the shepherd joyfully announces the
appearance of the ship. Kurvenal, ascending the tower, reports
to his master how it rounds the point, steers past the dangerous
rocks, touches the shore, and permits Ysolde to land.

Tristan has feverishly listened to all these reports, and bids
Kurvenal hasten down to bring Ysolde to him; then, left alone,
he bursts forth into rapturous praise of the happy day which
brings his beloved to him once more, and of the deep love which
has called him back from the gates of the tomb. His impatience
to see Ysolde soon gets the better of his weakness, however,
and he struggles to rise from his couch, although the exertion
causes his wounds to bleed afresh. Painfully he staggers half